Grinding-mill.



1. MERR|TT. l GRINDING MILL. X

APPLICATION HLED OCT. 16,1909.

Patented June 1, 1915.

6 SHEETS-SHEET l.

MERRITT. GRINDING MILL.

APPLICATION FILED oc. 16,1909.

Patented June 1, 1915.

6 SHEETS-SHEET 2- J. MERRITT.

GRINDING MILL.

APPLICATION FILED ocT. 16. |909.

Patented June 1, 1915.

6 sHEE'Ts-sHEH 3.

J. MERRITT.

GRINDING MILL.

APPLICATION msn ocT. 16.1909.

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J. IVIERRITT.

GRINDING MILL.

APPucAnoN man ocr. 16. |909.

Patented June 1, 1915.

6 SHEETS-SHEET 5.

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GRINDING lVllLL.

APPLICATION FILED ocT. 1611909.

Patented J Ime 1, 1915.

6 SHEETS-SHEET E.

JOSEPH MERRITT, 0F HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO BEECH-NUT PACKINGCOMPANY, OF CANAJOHARIE, NE/V YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

GRINDING-MILL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented J une 1, 1915.

T0 all lwhom it may concern:

Be it known that l, JOSEPH Mnnnrr'r, a citizen of the United States, andresident of Hartford. .in the' county of Hartford and State ofConnecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inGrinding- Mills, of which the following is a full, clear,

and exact specification.

Thisinvention comprises an improved and highly organized grinding millfor grinding grains, nuts, and many other articles or ma.- terials. a

The principal features of the present invention reside in means forsupporting, driving and adjusting the grinding instrumentalities; andfor uniformly conveying, and if necessary forcing, various materials tothe mixingV and grinding devices of the mill; also for tempering thedevices and the material to be ground, so as to maintain them atvthedesired temperature,.conducting away undesired heat and adding heat whendesired, by the circulation of a tempering medium in a simplecomprehensive manner, keeping the ground material and the temperingmedium separate, so that neither can become mixed with the other.

The invention also includes the organization of the various deviceswhereby they may be conveniently assembled, disassembled and adjusted,and which permits the operation of each without interfering with theflinctioii or operation of another, and whereby the various parts areprotected from injurious cori'osion, especially where it would tend torust together the parts which should remain separable.

The invention also Vincludes various details of construction andarrangement, all of which will be hereinafter described and set forth inthe claims.

A preferred and desirable embodiment of the present invention is shownin the ac-` companying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a side view, andFig. 2 an end view, in reduced scale. Fig. 3 is a plan view, in enlargedscale, of the main feeding and grinding devices and their environment,in section taken on the line 3 3 of Figs. 1 and Q. Fig. 4 is a side Viewin section taken on the line i--ct ofFig. 8, showing mainly the casingof what is shown in Fig.`3, with the revolving screw and grinderremoved.,

Fig. 5 is a side View in central longitudinal section, showing the meansfor driving the revolving grinder, supporting and adjusting the endthrust thereof, and for admitting and releasing the circulatingtempering fluid. Figs. (i and 7 are views showing details of thedetachable and tclescoping coupling employed for connecting theauxiliary feed screw, Fig. being an isometric view and Fig. 7 being anend view in section taken on the plane indicated by .the line 7 of Fig.Fig. 8 is an end view of the upper portion of the machine looking in thedirection of the arrow 12 in Fig. 3, with the delivery nozzle, grindingmembers, and feed screw removed. Figs. 9 and .l0 are isometric views ofthe grinding members shown inthe other figures of the drawings, Fig. 9showing the revolving, internal member and Fig. l() showing the fixedexternal member. Fig. l1 is a plan view in central longitudinal section,showing a multiple form of delivery nozzle for the mill.

The machine shown in the drawings is provided with a base or frame lupon Which the various parts may be mounted, including a motor .2 andstarting box 3 for driving the various mechanisms. The principalgrinding head of this machine is shown to consist of a casing -L fixedupon the base and containing the grinding members 5 and 6, the first ofwhich is stationary, being fixed to or integral with the casing, whileits coacting grinding member (S is mounted for rotation in the casing.The inner grinding member G may be made separate from, or integral withits shaft or stem 7, extending rearwardly through and out of the casingto connect with means for rotating and adliusting it, but forconvenience of construction, and to enable the grinding member to bereplaced when worn out, or when others of different form are required,they are preferably made separable as herein shown (Figs. 3, 9 and 10).In this instance the inner rotating grinding member 6 is` attached to ashaft 7, which may be provided with spirally arranged threads or ribs 8,coacting with other threads or ribs 9 on the interior of the casing toadvance the material to be ground longitudinally through the casing toand between the grinding members. This form of feed screw or conveyerbeing well known, no more detailed vdescription of it is needed. Therearward end of the rotating shaft or feed screw 7 extends out of thecasing 4 and is journaled in a bracket-or slide 11,which is mounted forsliding movement upon the base 1 in a direction parallel with the Yaxisof the shaft 7.

A bushing 12 is preferably employed in the ing member, the shaft 7 isherein shown to. be vprovided with a bevel gear 22, which meshes withthe gear 23 fixed on the shaft 24, journaled in the sliding bracket 11.That shaft may be driven in any convenient way from any motor orcountershaft. It is herein shown to be driven from the motor 2,- bymeans of the pulley or gear 25 driven by a chain or belt 26 from thepulley or gear 27 of the `motor 2.

A projecting guard 28 for the chain 26 is `provided, being preferablyclamped or screwed to the lslidingbracket 11, and being leftsufficiently large at the bottom -Where it encircles the pinion 27 toallow the required amount of adjustment of the slide and itsappurtenances. Thel beveled gears 22 and 23 'are also preferablyinclosed by projecting guards 30 and 31, which form upper and lowerhalves of complete encircling guards for both of the gears, beingfastened together by means of screws 32, or in any convenient way. Thebearing portions of these guards are herein shown as encircling andresting Aupon the ends of the bushings 12 and 33, respectively.

-As a means for adjusting the grinders to regulate the space betweenthem, and the consequent ineness of the material to be ground, thebracket 11 is made adjustable upon the base 1, being provided witha nut18 engaging with a screw 19, which is journaled on the base 1, and isprovided with any convenient means, as the handwheel 20, by which thecoarseness or ineness of the grinding may be regulated at any timeWithout otherwise interfering with or interrupting the grindingoperation; since the driving mechanism for the adjusted grinding memberis also carried by the bracket 11. This adjustment is also made withoutinterfering with the circulation of the Water or other-tempering medium;the means for which willneXt be described.

In grinding mills, particularly those intended for the grinding ofdrugs, food, or food ingredients, it is desirable to avoid productionlby the grinding action of heat sufficient to effect the material as toits flavor or consistency. In some instances it will be found desirableto maintain the materials being ground at certain definite temperatures,which may be either above or below the temperature produced by thegrinding action, which varies according to the refractory character ofthe material, the fineness of the grinding, the condition of thegrinding members, the rapidity of the grinding action, or the length oftime it is in action. With this in view the mill of the presentinvention is provided with spaces and conduits for the circulation of atempering medium, generally and preferably Water, around and adjacent tothe grinding members, the bearings, or other members most likely togenerate heat by friction or attrition, so as to conduct undesiredexcessive heat away from those members or from the material, or toconduct additional heat thereto through the walls of, those members;While excluding the tempering medium from direct contact with thebearings, the grinding surfaces and the material being ground. In theembodiment herein shown, the circulation is reduced to a single system,the same flow or circulation being conducted first to one of thegrinding members and then around, past ory through the bearings to theother grinding melnber. Obviously, however, separate systemsmay beemployed where different temperatures are required for the variousparts. For example, where it is desired to keep the bearings cool, andthe material at a higher temperature, separate systems may be employed,each employing a tempering medium of the desired temperature. Althoughthis circular system may thus be employed to conduct additional heat tothe materials, or to the parts, yet, for the main uses contemplated forthis invention, it is commonly desirable to keep the parts cool ratherthan to add more heat, in which case a single circulating system,employing-a cooling medium, is suiiicient.

As herein illustrated, the water or otherA cooling or tempering mediumis first conducted to the inner grinder and then to the outer grinder;but obviously this course may be reversed or each may be separately andindependently cooled or tempered by separate systems, by a suitablearrangement of the piping and connections.

In arranging the tempering system, it is desirable to exclude thetempering fluid from between the grinding surfaces, the bearings, andfrom the material ground. It is also important to avoid interfering withthe means for rotating and adjusting the grinding members. The innergrinding member 6 is chambered or recessed annularly at 36, thusproviding an annular space for the circulation of the tempering fluid,and also thinning the wall and thereby increasing the conductivity andreducing the weight of the grinding member. That member is herein shownto be mounted on the shaft 7, being secured thereon by means of a key37, and a nut 38. Suitable gaskets 39 are employed if necessary toprevent the water or other circulating medium from escaping through thejoints; and in making the nut 38-it lis preferably not bored entirelythrough for the same reason.

The shaft 7, which may also serve as the feed screw or conveyor, isaxially bored to receive the tube 40, which is smaller than the bore, soas to leave the annular space 41 around the tube, the end of which isclosed by means of a short piece of tubing-42. The end of the tube 40 isclosed by means of a plug 43. A cross pin 44 may be employed to hold thetubes and the plug in position in the end of the shaft 7. The passages46 allow thewater to flow between the inside of the tube 40 and theannular space 36 of the 0rinder6, while one or more apertures 47 throughthe wall of the shaft 7 afford communication between the space 36 andthe annular space 4l around the outside of the tube. Thus the water orothertempering medium may be conducted through the interior of the tube,out through the passages 46, to the circulating space 41; and thenceaxially along the shaft. Or this direction of'flow may be reversed,making 4l the inflow and the interior of the tube 40 the outflow.

In order to provide the interior ofthe tube 40 and the annular space 41around the tube with external connections, the rear-` ward end of theshaft 7 and the tube 40 are extended beyond the thrust bearing, throughthe stufling boxes in the frame or bracket 50 (Fig. 5). The gland 51 andits packing 52 encireles the end portion of the hollow shaft 7 the portor passage 53 beyond the end of the shaft 7 communicating through theside of the bracket between the passage 41 and the pipe 54. The tube 40extends beyond the outlet 53, through anmindependent stuifing box,including a gland 55 and packing 5G. A supply tube 57 in the end of thestufling box provided with a valve 58 communicates with the interior ofthe tube 40. The pipe 57 is provided with suitable extensions orconnections leading from a source of supply for the water or othertempering medium, or it may be used as the discharge pipe, the pipe 54being employed as the inlet. Thermometers 48 and 49 may be employed ator near the inlet and outlet, or wherever it may be desired to observethe temperature of the circulating fluid.

To provide circulating space for the tempering fluid to and around theouter grinding member 5, the casing 4 is provided withv a chamber GO,which preferably extends lengthwise of the casing and annularly aroundthe central opening for the feed screw or conveyer 7. This chamberedcirculating space extends to and around the grinding member 5, throughopenings G1 between the ribs or arms 62, by means of which the innerwall of the casing, inside of the chamber 60 is tied to the outer wall,outside of that chamber. Thus the tempering fluid is allowed to flowdirectly in contact with and around the outer grinding member, which inturn is utilized as a means for closing the outer end of the chamber 60,to/preventthe escape of the cooling medium therefrom. Inasmuch as thecasing 4 would generally be made of cast iron, which would be corrodedby the action of the water, the seating rings 63 and 64 of non-corrosivemetal, such as bronze, are provided, for receiving and seating the outergrinding member so that the latter will not become rusted into place,thus perhaps interfering with its removal and replacement. Suitablegaskets G6 and 67 are provided between the grinding member and its seat,to insure making liquidtight joints. The grinding member, its gasketsand seating rings, are firmly held to their place by means of a screwring 69 threaded into the outer end ofthe casing.

Iniiow andoutfl'ow of the cooling medium is provided for the circulatingspace 60 by means of piping 71 and 72. Either of these may serve as theinlet or outlet, being connected with suitable supply and dischargepipes or conduits. In the present instance, however, the chamber 60receives the discharge of the cooling medium from the inner grindingmember through the discharge pipe 54 and the inlet 71, the outlet 72leading to a suitable discharge conduit beneath the floor or elsewhere.A connecting pipe 73, provided with a valve 74, is herein shownconnecting the two pipes 54 and 72 (Fig. 1) to facilitate draining thewater out ofthe respective pipes and passages, or to permit the water tobe discharged without passing to the casing 4. The preferred circulationof the cooling medium in a single system, inwardly through the valve 58and outwardly through the passage pipe 72 is indicated by small arrowsin Fig. 1 and in other figures. Obviously, however, this arrangement maybe modified in various ways, by reversing the direction of thecirculation, or by dividing it into two systems, one for the outer andthe other for the inner grinding member and their respective adjuncts.

This machine is shown to be provided with two independent feedmechanisms for the material to be ground, it being assumed in thisinstance that the principal mass can easily be fed by gravity from anordinary hopper 7 G through the main throat 77 of the machine. Thehopper 7 6 may be made removable so as to substitute other forms ofhopper, suited to various materials or purposes. A second andindependent feed supply is herein shown as an auxiliary feed enteringthe main throat at one side thereof,

as shown in Fig. l-directly above the con-- j by gravity, or a morecomplex device employing a forced feed of any desired kind. That shownin the drawings comprises an auxiliary feed screw 80 in a tube 79, whichextends from the side of the throat 77 upwardly at an angle and openingat its upper sidewith a throat or hopper 8l, which receives lits supplyfrom the discharge outlet 82 of a reservoir 83, which is preferablydetachably mounted upon a suitable column 84, supported by the base orframe 1. In this instance the discharge opening 82 of the reservoir isabove the throat or hopper 81, with a clear space between, thus enablingthe amount and character of the material fed from this source to beobserved, forming in effect a sight feed.

This auxiliary feedingdevice 1s provided with stirrers and coiiveyers,suitable for use with material which is liable to cling. or .packtogether, as for example, salt, during ahumid condition of theatmosphere. These stirring and feeding devices are mountedin theupper'end of the column 84. The initial driving shaft 85 is provided.with a pulley 86, which receives rotary motion in any convenient wa'y,as by a belt 87 from the pulley or gear 25.

In order to facilitate the assembling and disassembling of the parts fortheir c onstruction or inspection, the connecting mechanism of the feedscrew 8O is made .to telescope and may be detachable from its drivingconnection with its gear 121. The latter is fixed upon va shell orspindle 122, journaled inthe column 84, its outer end being threaded orotherwise suitably recessed for receiving and holding the quill 123,within which the upper end of the auxiliary conveyer or feed screw isfitted for sliding -moveinent. The telescoping end of the screw 80 isprovided with a spline 124 which projects outwardly through and beyondvthe longitudinal slot 125 in the quill 123 and into the annular recess126 in the 'clutch collar 127. A key 128, seated in the quill 123 alsoprojects outwardly into the said annular recess of the thrust collar127, holding the collar longitudinally in place upon the quill whilepermitting it to be rotated relative to the quill. A splineway 130through the adjacent side of the collar enables the key 124 of theA feedscrew 80 to be slid out of the clutch collar when the collar is rotatedto the position shown in Fig. 6with the splineway 130 in register withthe slot 125. The

slot 130 also permits the key 128 to enter the recess 126 in the initialassembling of the parts. In order to facilitate bringing the splineway130 into register with the slot 125, the clutch collar may be providedwith a pin or screw 131, so located as to engage with the key 128, whenthe keyway 125, and consequently the spline 124, are in register withthe splineway 130. An additional pin 132 may also be provided on theother side ofthe key 128, as shown in Fig. 7, to prevent that key\ frombeing turned into coincidence with the splineway 130. Thus the operatorwishing to disconnect the parts may, upon turning the thrust collar 127by the sense of feeling alone, stop it in proper position for endwisedisengagement of the key 124, through the splineway 130, either bypushing the feed screw endwise in the quill 123,

or by unscrewing the latter from its shell or spindle 122, in which casethe feed screw 80 and its appurtenances may be entirely yremoved.

I n order to enable thev various materials which may be ground in thismill to be properly discharged from the mill, provision is made forattaching different forms of discharge nozzles, suited to the differentmaterials to be ground, or suited for the receptacles into which theground material is to be packed or conveyed. Thus the nozzle 140 ofFigs. 3 'and 4 is provided witha single discharge spout, in line withthe axis of the feed screw and the grinding members, whereas the nozzle141 of Figs. 1 and 11 is shown to be provided with two nozzles, 142 and143, dividing the discharging material into two streams. For conveniencein attaching and detaching these nozzlesthey are preferablyscrew-threaded upon the end of the casing 4 and are provided with ahand-wheel portion 145, by means of which the nozzles may be easilyscrewed to and unscrewed from the casing.

In the operation of the machine described v and its internal grindingmember 6 are rotated.f The material from the hopper 76 passes directlythrough the throat 77 into the feed screw and is thence fed forwardthrough and between the grinding members 5 and 6 and out ofthe spout orspouts of the delivery nozzle. coarseness is secured by turning theadjusting screw 19, thereby sliding the'bracket 11 backward or forwardand carrying the internal grinding member 6, its shaft or feed screw 7and their driving and thrust devices bodily forward or back in thedirection for securing the desired changed'n the iineness of thegrinding.

The supply of water or other tempering medium is turned on through theinlet valve 58, passing through the tube 41, and the passages 46 to thecirculating space 36 of the grinding member 6, passing thence throughThe desired ineness orl the passages 47, 41 and 53, and the pipes 54 and71, to the circulating space 60 1n the casing 4, which surrounds thefeed screw 7,

from which the water'continues through the i voir from which, afterbeing cooled, or otherwise modified, it may again be circulated throughthe machine. /Vater or any other suitable tempering fluid may beemployed. Under some conditions, or for some purposes, the circulatingmedium may be employed for heating instead of cooling the parts throughand around which it is circulated. 'l`he construction, arrangement, andoperation of this mill may be modified in various ways to suit differentuses or conditions. Y

The auxiliary stirring and feeding devices shown herein are made thesubject matter of a division of this application, Serial No. 700,969,filed June l, 1912.

I claim as my invention 1. The combination, in a grinding mill, of acasing provided with a fixed grinding member, a rotatable forcing screwwithin the casing, provided with a grinding member, respectivelycooperating with the casing and with the fixed grinding member to feedmaterial in an axial direction to, and grind it between the saidgrinding members, means for conducting a tempering medium longitudinallythrough the forcing screw into contact with the rotating` grindingmember and longitudinally back again within the forcing screw.

The combination, in a grinding mill, of a casing provided with a fixedgrinding member, a rotatable forcing screw within and coperating withthe casing to feed material in an axial direction along the screw, agrinding member carried by the screw, and cooperating with the saidfixed grinding member to grind the material fed to it by the screw,means for conducting a tempering medium longitudinally through theforcing screw into contact with the rotating grinding member andlongitudinally back again through the forcing screw, and means fordirecting the tempering medium outside of the forcing screw and aroundthe fixed grinding member.

3. The combination, in a grinding mill. of a casing provided with afixed grinding member, a rotatable forcing screw provided with a.grinding member. and disposed within the casing and the fixed grindingmember, respectively, and coperating therewith to feed the material inan axial direction toward, and' grind it between, the said grindingmembers, means for conducting a tempering medium longitudinally throughthe forcing screw into contact with its grinding member, andlongitudinally back again through the forcing screw, and means forconducting the same tempering medium thence to the casing, around theforcing screw, and around the fixed grinding member.

4. The combination, in a grinding mill, of a casing having a seat forreceiving a rotary forcing screw, an inclosed space for circulating atempering medium around the said seat, a grinding member removablyseated in the casing 'with its outer surface exposed.. to the flow ofthe circulating medium, and means for making fluid-tight joints betweenthe outer surfaceof the grinding member and the inner and outer walls ofthe said circulating space, whereby the tempering medium may circulatefrom the casing to and around the grinding member without escapingthrough said joints."

5. The combination, in a grinding mill, of a casing provided with afixedgrinding member, a forcing screw mounted for rotation within thecasing, a rotary grinding membercarried by the said forcing screw, incooperative relation to the fixed grinding member, and means forconducting a tempering medium longitudinally within the forcing screwdirectly to the. rotary grinding member, and a separate conduit forconducting the water from the grinding member longitudinally back againthrough the forcing screw.

(3. The combination, in a grinding mill, of a casing provided with afixed grinding member. a forcing screw mounted for rotation within thecasing, a grinding member carried b v said rotating screw in coperativerelation to the fixed grinding member, a conduit extendinglongitudinally through the forcing screw to the rotary grinding member,for conducting the tempering modium into contact with the rotarygrinding member, and a separate conduit for returning the temperingmedium from the grinding member longitudinally through the forcingscrew.

7. The combination, in a grinding mill, of a casing, coacting grindingmembers within the casing, one of which projects axially. out of thecasing, a bracket mounted for sliding movement adjacent to the casingand having the said projecting grinding member journaled therein forrotation, driving means journaled on the bracket ineluding gearing fortransmitting rotary movement to the said grinding member. and meansincluding a screw for moving the sliding bracket to adjust its grindingmember and driving means relative to the coacting grinding member. v

8. The combination, in a grinding mill, of a casing, coacting grindingmembers within the casing, a bracket mounted for sliding movementadjacent to the casing, and havnaled in the bracket, for transmittingrotary n `movement to the grinding member, and

guards also carried by the bracket for inclosing the said bevel gearsand thedriving ear. g 10. The combination, in a grinding mill, of acasing having space in its wall for the circulating of fluid, and agrinding member secured to the casing with its surface exposedto andclosing said space to prevent the escape of the fluid past the grindingmember.

1l. The combination, in a grinding mill,

y of a casing having a space mits wall for fluid circulation, a seatingring fitted against the end of the ywall within the space, a grindingmember seated against the said ring with its surface exposed to thecirculating space outside of the ring, and means for closing the jointbetween the outer side of the circulating space land the grindingmember.

12. The combination, in a grinding mill,

of a casing having fluid circulating space in its wall, a seating ringfor the wall inside of theeirculating space, a grinding member seated insaid ring with its surface exposed to the circulating space outside ofthe ring,

' a seating ring for closing the joint between the ,grinding member andthe outer wall of the space, and gaskets for closing the joints betweenthe said rings and the grinding member.

13. The combination, in a grinding mill, of a casing having fluidcirculating space in its wall, a seating ring secured to the wall insideof the space, another ring seated in the wall outside of the space, agrinding member seated in the said rings, gaskets against the outer faceof the latter ring, and the face of the grinding member, respectively,and a clamp ring screw-threaded in `,the casing and bearing against thesaid gaskets to hold the said grinding member in place and to close thejoint outside of the said member-to prevent escape of the fluid from thecirculating space.-

14.4 The combination, in a grinding mill, of a casing, a separable shaftand grinding member mounted for rotation within thecasing, with anannular space between'them for the circulation of a tempering medium, atube within the shaft and an annular space around the said tube, bothcommunicating with the said annular space of the grinding membenforconducting the tempering Lmeium to and away from the grinding memer. v

l5. The combination, in a grinding mill, of a casing, a separablegrindino` member and feed screw mounted for rotation in the casing, withan annular space in the grinding member for the circulation of atempering medium, and means for conducting a tempering medium to andfrom the said space, including a bore extending longitudinally throughthe feed screw, a tube lseated therein smaller than the bore, means forclosing the inner end of the tube and the inner end of the bore, andpassages leading from the annular space of the grinding member to thebore and to the tube.

16. The combination, in a grinding mill, of a casing, a feed screwwithin the casing, a grinding member secured to Ithe feed screw with afluid circulating space between them, inflow and outflow passages forfluid extending within the feedl screw and communicating with the saidwater space between the feed screw and the grinding member.

17. The combination, in a grinding mill, of a casing provided with acirculating space for -a tempering fluid, a grinding member alsoprovided with a circulating space for a tempering fluid, and mounted atone end for rotation in the casing, with-its other end mounted forrotation 1n a separate bearing,

inlets and outlets for the fluid, having a telescoping connection at thesaid bearing with the circulating space of the rotating grinding member,and a thrust bearing engaging the said rotating member between thecasing and the said bearing, and means for rotating and axiallyadjusting the said grinding member.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOSEPH MERRITT.

Witnesses i FRANK M. MATHER, MARY G. F. CUNNrNGHMr

